(The
left hand photos is Frank with his P.I.A.T. gun and the right hand photo
see below)
FROM THE TANK MUSEUM AT BOVINGTON.
The photograph shows what appears to be an assault gun: Sturmgeschutz
40 Ausf. G (StuG III Ausf. G). Basically, the Germans used the hull
of a Panzer III (the turret was removed) and fitted a 7,5cm gun into
the front of the superstructure. Assault guns were widely used and were
difficult to spot given their low silhouette. They were employed as
assault gun (Sturmgeschutz) / tank destroyers usually in detachments
both independent and attached to divisions. They were used at Monte
Cassino and there are a number of photos in existence.which show them
knocked out.

Luigi Trevisan, our erstwhile
supporter in Italy, has sent me these pics of the museum in Roncofreddo
(near the City of Cesena) in the area of the Gothic Line where the 2nd
Bn had such a hard fight.

Click on photos to enlarge
them
Luigi has added, " Mr Paolo Savini, the curator, is preserving
fantastic memorabilia of your ancestors as memento for the adults and
students about the sacrifice of the British Army for our freedom. I'm
very happy for that effortis.Now he is restoring a Bailey bridge of
the Royal Engineers used to cross the many rivers and streams of that
area."

Many thanks Luigi, we are grateful for your continued
support and praise for the Lancashire Fusiliers.

Termoli Italy 28th September
1943

This short piece concerns the 2nd Bn and
the action at Termoli Italy at the end of September 1943.

The most experienced patrollers were assembled and formed into two
officer-lead vanguard platoons. They were ordered to push ahead to
successive tactical features and report them clear or otherwise.

The plan worked well; after each bound the
Battalion moved confidently forward and then rested until the next
feature had been secured.
The vanguards met some minor opposition from snipers and small patrols,
but they were strong enough to deal with those.
A German artillery officer with his radio operator was flushed out
of a church tower into the Bn game bag.
The CO requested Brigade HQ to give our anti-tank guns priority in
the queues of vehicles waiting to cross the rivers where bridges had
been blown.
He was relieved when this was granted as intelligence reports had
indicated that the 16 Panzer Division had left the Naples area and
was heading towards Termoli.
It seemed that the Bn's advance up the east coast had achieved the
object of drawing enemy forces away from the hard-pressed Fifth Army.
So we could expect action soon.

The vanguard patrols continued their progress
and on 3 October, the Battalion arrived at the demolished road and
rail bridges over the river Biferno on the southern outskirts of Termoli.
They were lucky to find some rowing boats in which they ferried the
heavier supporting weapons and ammunition.
Rifle companies waded across.

On the north side,it was reassuring to learn
that two Commandos had landed early in the morning and completely
surprised the weak German garrison in Termoli, capturing its Commandant
and other officers in their pyjamas.
As the town was secure, the Bn veered westwards towards the wooded
escarpment that ran inland from Termoli beyond the course of the river
Biferno.
It was obvious that this high ground had to be held to cover the valley
and the bridge site near Campomarino.
The CO joined the leading troops and, as they approached the top of
the escarpment summoned the `Order Group' to assemble while he went
on to look at the country ahead.
All was tranquil.
There was not the slightest hint of danger.
The Commandos were happily consolidating their hold in Termoli, no
doubt pinching the best billets after their successful night operation.

On reaching the crest, the CO beheld an
astonishing sight, one that infantry soldiers dream about but seldom
see.
About four hundred yards away was a mixed column of 16 Panzer Division's
soft-skinned vehicles, armour and guns nose-to-tail on a road stretching
as far as one could see to beyond Monte di Coccia, a high hill over
on the Bns left.
The CO quickly withdrew below the crest trembling with excitement.
Fred Majdalany was ordered to get the MMG and the 3-inch mortar platoons
into firing positions; thank goodness, they were in the right order
of battle and already across the river. The company commanders were
allotted defensive localities.
There was no time to be wasted; detailed orders were unnecessary;
they were all veterans at the game.
The battle patrol was sited to protect the bridge and the rear of
the Battalion. Everyone was warned to crawl into position. No one
was to fire until the CO gave the order. The aim was to completely
surprise the Germans with a shattering blast of fire from all our
weapons. Our 25-Pounders were miles behind out of range waiting to
cross a river but the battery commander arranged for medium guns to
support us.

`16 Panzer Division!' The words spread like
lightning. Men forgot their fatigue from the long marches and wading
through rivers. The fog of uncertainty had cleared.
Fusiliers doubled up the escarpment. Those carrying 3-inch mortar
bombs dumped them beside the mortars mounted ready to fire.
'16 Panzer Division!' The news had reached the bridging sites where
men struggled with renewed energy to get reserves of ammunition forward
to us. Messages were flashed through Brigade to Division, Corps to
Army. Commanders and staffs at the various headquarters all down the
line were no doubt busy ordering other moves for countering this latest
threat.
But at that moment, the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers stood alone.

When they were all deployed, a profound
silence reigned.
Fusiliers in the woods looked over their weapon sights patiently waiting.
the CO instructed the Adjutant to signal Brigade that he urgently
needed our anti-tank guns.
He looked towards Major Majdalany, as eager as a dog for a bone, and
nodded.
`Fire!'
The order reverberated through the woods and along the crests.
The whole machine gun platoon opened fire together and triggered a
larger orchestra of fire that rippled around the countryside.
The CO stood behind observing the effects; out in front the enemy
ranks were in confusion with vehicles bursting into flames - an unforgettable
sight!
In the excitement of the hour, some officers attempted to take over
from the machine gunners. Quite rightly, they refused. However, the
CO was honoured when a Corporal Number One looked up, 'Would you like
to have a go, Sir?' He fired at a group of lorries. 'You're hitting
the wheels, Sir. Up a hundred - that it! Right on target.'

The Germans soon retaliated. Enemy artillery
fired smoke shells to help their surprised troops extricate themselves.
The CO warned the companies to dig in deeper while the mortars and
machine guns continued firing; they had not had time to erect any
overhead protection and shrapnel from shells bursting in the trees
was causing casualties.
By dusk, both sides were licking their wounds. Our 25-Pounders were
now within range so defensive fire tasks were soon registered in.
Some divisional 17-Pounder anti-tank guns had arrived and were deployed
to support our own 6-Pounders. As darkness descended our reconnaissance
patrols exchanged fire with enemy positions. Star shells lit up the
battle area intermittently. There was nervous tension all along the
front.
At dawn, the hills to the north reverberated with the sound of guns.
Shells whined overhead towards our divisional gun areas behind the
river.

As our artillery retaliated in kind, the
furious fire power of 16 Panzer Division was turned on to our positions.

The ground all around erupted with the bombardment.
Showers of bullets zipped, cracked and whined away in ricochet.
There was a shout, 'Tanks in front!' - an armoured attack with infantry
following.
Companies were soon calling for their pre-arranged defensive fire
tasks, which were quickly answered by our gunners. Medium guns were
engaging enemy armour.
The battle area had become alive as both sides became locked in battle.
The contest raged throughout the day with several enemy armoured and
infantry thrusts coming in from different directions, but the Battalion
position held.

Termoli 29th September 1943
We last saw the 2nd Bn Lfs being furiously engaged by 16 Panzer Division
outside the port of Termoli as night fell and fighting patrols encountered
more and more of the enemy, some as close to our defensive positions
as 300 yards.

At dawn, it was soon clear that a major
assualt by the 16th Panzers was imminent.

Weapons and ammunition was checked, no one
could afford a stoppage.

Our forward company ( D Coy)reported that
some Buffs on their left had withdrawn, leaving the LF Company vulnerable
from the flank, the Germans were quick to see this and began an attack.

The CO ordered the exposed Company to fall
back a little to a more favourable defensive position.

This also allowed us to keep all our Observation
Points protected, from which the road to Termoli could be kept under
observation.

Suddeny, the radio crackled into life with
the news that the enemy tanks had broken through the main Buffs position
and were sculling about on top of the escarpment.
This provided an opportunity for the 25 Pounders in the valley to
revert to the drills used at Waterloo and fire over open sights at
tanks on the skyline.

The situation was becoming critical, the
2nd Bn Lfs were exposed on a salient and being threatened from several
directions.

The order went out that Companies were to
hold their small arms fire until the enemy were within 3 hundred yards.

This was it! A large scale Panzer attack
around both our flanks, supported by artillery, mortars and some aircraft.

We retaliated with everything we had, we
had to stay put at all costs !

The attackers fought to within 150 yards
of us, our defensive fire SOS fire tasks were called for repeatedly
(in effect, you almost call fire down upon your own positions -Editor

Then came the turning point, the Commanding
Officer of the Lancashire Fusiliers ordered a counter attack ,and
"Fix Bayonets" came the cry!

Through the beautiful olive groves the Lfs
moved forwards, bayonets at the ready, firing at anything that moved
ahead of them.

Then, a magic moment, the enemy began to
falter, a cheer rang out as the LFs pressed home their bayonet charge.

The Germans had had enough and they streamed
backwards towards the Brickworks, all the while being shattered by
our artillery fire.

Victory at Termoli was assured when the
Irish Brigade landed from assault craft.

The LFs had been fighting solidly for 4
days.

Suddenly everyone felt very tired.

Young men suddenly looked old, with red
rimmed eyes and faces grimed with dirt and fatigue.

Time to count the cost of a heroic victory.

Termoli Secured, Now for the River Trigno Crossing

Following the assault landing at Termoli
harbour by the Special Raiding Brigade and 40 (RM) Commando and the
subsequent landing of the Irish Brigade, the enemy had made a determined
effort to dislodge the LFs from their strategic position atop the
escarpment.
It was touch and go, even the Headquarters personnel in the Command
Post had been forced to fix bayonets and fight hand to hand with the
determined enemy.
(These turned out to be soldiers from the German 1st Parachute Division
- Joe )
The LFs held on in spite of the odds, and despite suffering many casualties.

It was time for a break.

The Commanding Officer of 2LF was sent for
by by General Montgomery, the Army Commander, who told him this :-

"Please inform your Fusiliers that
I was very pleased with the great fighting stand at Termoli.
I know all about the battle and of the prominent part you played in
it.
I am unable to get to see you today, but I promise that I will get
to see you all when I next come around "

The 2nd Bn LFs were stood down at a place
called Portocannone until the 22nd October 1943, resting and training
and receiving replacements for the men they had lost.
Time for new orders and preparations for the opposed crossing of the
river Trigno

The River Trigno Crossing

We last looked at the 2nd Bn as they recuperated from their great efforts
at Termoli.

(I did promise to write this
on the 22nd October, I have given my self 3 extra Orderly Officer Duties
)

By the evening of 23rd October
1943, the 2nd Bn XX The Lancashire Fusiliers were in positions on the
Calione ridge, just South of the Trigno river.

The only road bridge over the
river had been blown by the enemy and it became clear that a crossing
would have to be made so that Engineers could build a bridge to get
our heavy arms and eqiuipment over the river.

The BN war diary records that
as 3 rifle companies of LFs moved forward to the Montebello ridge ,which
immediately overlooks the river ,D Company ran into an enemy force approximately
40 strong.
A fierce fire fight ensued and the enemy were put to flight, being pursued
by Machine gun fire as they ran.
D Company lost 3 killed and 3 men were missing.

The Divisional plan was that
11 Infantry Brigade would ceate a diversion to draw off the enemy from
the site of the planned river crossing.

A Company 2LF made a crossing
of a minor river ( The Grigho) on the 24th october and established a
bridgehead so that the Sappers could work unmolested.

On the 25th october it was
planned that A Company would hold the bridgehead and that B and C Companies
would go through them and attack San Salvo railway station.

All went well (A Company lost
2 killed and 2 wounded) and at 2230 hrs the other two companies went
into the planned attack.

The forward Platoon of C Company
were almost at the railway station and the other 2 platoons were a short
distance behind at a farm near the Molino river.

Unfortunately, the lead Platoon
came under friendly fire ( yes, it happened in those days too !) which
put them out of contact with the Bn.

Fate had it that during this
time they would be attacked and the whole Platoon was captured with
the exception of 2 brave NCO's who made it back to the Coy HQ to break
the sad news.
Meanwhile, B Coy was having a torrid time, trying to advance against
stiff mortar and machine gun fire.

C Coy OC, worried about the
fate of his leading Platoon, sent a patrol out to look for them.
The patrol reported that there was no sign of them and that the enemy
were still in the railway station.

The Commanding officer, hearing
the news from his leading Companies, then varied the plan.

He decided to regroup back
at their original positions at the bridgehead and to try the attack
again the next night, the 26th October,

The Decision had been taken that the attack on San Salvo which had failed
on the 26th October would be repeated on the 27th.

As a preliminary step, a strong
fighting patrol went out at last light to cover the adjustments being
made to the Bn's position.

At the furthest farm, the patrol
met with strong enemy forces and a firefight ensued during which the
Patrol Commander ,Lt J S Woodin, was wounded and captured.

With A Company still holding
the bridgehead, C and D Companies went in at 0215 hours, and B Company
reached the line of the Molino River without too much opposition, but
when D Company arrived at the Station they found it to be very well
defended and D Company drove off the enemy ,having fixed bayonets and
engaged in some hard hand to hand fighting.

During this phase, 2 of our
men were awarded Military Medals, Sgt H Rowson of the Signals Platoon
and Lance Corporal R Griffiths of D Company.

Total casualties of this phase
came to 29, considered to be not excessive in the difficult fighting
they had come through.

San Salvo finally fell on the
2nd November and the 2nd Bn LFs moved onto the hights overlooking Cupello
on the 4th November 1943.

A

B

C

D

1.

These 7 photos sent in by the
Barker family of Frank with 2LF in Cassino ->

Does anyone remember Ted Wilkinson,stretcher bearer
with the 2nd Bn North Africa,Siciliy,Italy and Austria (Note Battle Axe
Division on his shoulder epaulettes)

Abraham Thomas HarrisBattle
Axe DivisionDispatch Rider

My
father served in N.Africa and possibly Italy in WW2 but other than one photograph
of him in uniform I have no information about his service. I am currently tracing
my family history and would like if possible to add to the very limited information
I have. I know from his comments to me as a child that his 'job' was delivering
dispatches by motorcycle and that he was invalided out c.1944 following a serious
spinal injury due to a motorcycle accident. Family photographs, now sadly dissapeared,
show him at a hospital, possibly Cairo,but it could have been Alexandria.
Other than this I have no information whatsoever on his rank etc. Many thanks. Royston Harris

Joe
is now checking out this story so watch this space

A Coy 1943

Sgt Albert Atherton,
Albert is the one with one hand
in his pocket,the chap in the middle is called Watson and the chap on the right
is not known

Fred Hurst

Fred Hurst was born 9th November 1923 and he enlisted in April 1942. He was
wounded or injured in North Africa with the 2nd Bn and returned to recuperate
to Fulwood Barracks Preston. He then rejoined the war and was killed in action
on the 9th April 1945 at the battle of the river Senio. This was the last
great WW2 battle the 2nd Bn took part in. Fred came very close to making it
home. This is the CWGC link.http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2237415

Sidney Sedgwick won the Croix de Guerre in North Africa fighting with the
Free French Forces

Can anyone add anything to his story?

Sent
in byMike Murray
'WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members
of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar'
This extract is taken from 'John Hudson, WW2 People's War'

THIS IS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO MY MAIN STORY, www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A3878760
AND RECORDS THE EXPERIENCE OF FIRST CASUALTIES IN ALGERIA, NORTH AFRICA. We
recovered from our seven-mile march to Cap Matifou and spent a week awaiting the
arrival of our guns and transport. Another ship had carried them, which was a
relief; a cargo of shells and explosives in the rough Atlantic would have disturbed
our sleep! Preparations complete, we set out in convoy to join the 1st Army
engaged in the east towards Tunisia. The reader may be familiar with the terrain
in that part of North Africa. The foothills of the Atlas Mountains lead to small
valleys towards the coast. Night arrived, and our convoy crept forward. Someone
said, "These can't be front-line positions, it's too bloody quiet."
Guns and ammunition were left in one valley, excess transport, personnel, wireless
operators, cooks, etc., moved on in the darkness. We came to a halt. "Everybody
out," whispered the sergeant, "the Germans are over those hills, so
no noise." We were convinced that British Infantry were close at hand, but
their forces were thinly dispersed over the hills, and the nearest, (Lancashire
Fusiliers) were engaged elsewhere. At daybreak, a "look-out" reported
that a German patrol had moved during the night and they later appeared on the
skyline. "Spandau" machine-gun fire started and our lads took cover
behind vehicles, returning fire with rifles, although we only had a small quantity
of ammunition available. We were thankful to see a platoon of Lancashire Fusiliers
arrive. An officer led them up the hill with Bren-guns and mortars, they were
experienced troops and soon had the area cleared. British infantry have no equal
in situations like that, they pressed on out of sight. It was our baptism of fire
- two men had been hit in the legs, but the Lancashire Fusiliers certainly saved
our "bacon!" In the weeks that followed, the "AFRIKA KORPS"
were slowly pushed back by British and United States forces into Tunisia. Our
Battery suffered casualties when a gun exploded as they were preparing to fire.
A faulty fuse was suspected. Two men died and others were wounded. It brought
the true horror of war to our young lives. One lad from Staffordshire was about
twenty, another, a Scottish chap, a bit older. In my next episode we build
up ammunition for the last bombardment near Tunis. British and American Infantry
advance under shellfire to give the final knock-out to the Germans in North Africa.
The "AFRIKA KORPS" safely in P.O.W. cages, the troops enjoyed a well-earned
rest, although a "Gunners versus Signallers, Drivers, and others" football
match, under the hot African sun, was anything but "restful!" Scottish
troops of 51st Highland Division from "Monty's" 8th Army soon prepared
to land in Sicily. Our "heavy" guns were destined for Salerno, beaches
south of Naples.

Major Christopher Lea
MC Brother of Lieutenant-Gerneral George Lea Colonel of The Regiment
(RRF)

The story of the Battle
of Medjez El Bab one of our Battle Honours

"Medals
and awards known to have been won during this campaign by the 2nd Battalion

I was browsing through the site recently when
at the end of 2LFs North African page I noticed amoungst the Dr Stotts
medal list the details of Major Kenricks death and the fact that he
died of wounds and is buried in Pietermaritzburg Cemetery in South Africa.
My nephew went to University there so I asked my brother to contact
his friends to see if they could find the grave in Fort Napier War Cemetery.
I gather that a lot of severely wounded servicemen were sent to RSA
for treatment during the war and there was a big Military Hospital at
Oribi.
You can see from the pictures attached that they have found it. It looks
a lovely, well kept, tranquil place but it is a long way from home.
He is the only Fusilier in that cemetery.
Pity Kevin Hill has passed on he no doubt would have known this officer.
Perhaps there is someone you know who can fill in the details of how
he received the wounds that lead to his death? Perhaps there are relatives
still around who would like copies of the pictures?
Coincidentaly my Uncle Tom spent six months in the Oribi Military Hospital.
He had the uncovetted distinction of being sunk three times in 24 hours
when Stukas smashed his destroyer flotilla off Crete. He was bombed
in the water and went to PMB to have most of his guts removed. On discharge
he became a publican sadly with only half pint capacity though he retained
his 12 pint thirst .As a consequence he spent the last few years of
his life mostly flat on his face - he went down with all guns blazing
in the true Nelson spirit